Update on these stations?

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spilot113

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Hello All! Returning the the SWL hobby after a long time away.

Can anyone give me an update on these shortwave stations in the US?

WJHR

WTJC

KSDA...possible to hear in the Mainland US?

KTBN...wasn' this formerly K-West?

KJES?

Thanks for helping this old-timer out!
 

ka3jjz

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KSDA I believe was bought by Trans World Radio and renamed KTWR (Guam). It's a very tough catch on the East Coast, much more possible on the West. I'm unsure if KTWR is even still on the air

The other stations I'm not real familiar with. Pretty sure they're all kaput.

Solar conditions are crummy now, and are not expected to get better very soon. That and the exit of many of the big boys (or at least greatly reducing their ops) have a lot of people saying there's nothing to hear

Balderdash

There's plenty to hear still; you just need to broaden your horizons and pick your targets. For example Latin America has got some interest, with the apparent reactivation of a Brazilian on 4985 and a new (apparently religious) Columbian station on 4940.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that if it's not in English, it's not worth hearing.

Instead of spending money right off the bat, why don't you try using some of the many web based receivers? We have links to quite a number of them here...(links are always in blue)


the Kiwi network, WebSDR and Global Tuners are probably the big 3.

How to find active stations? You may remember the name Glenn Hauser. He runs a couple of email reflectors; probably the best one to join is the World of Radio reflector on groups.io..


and see our SWL article...


That should be enough for now....feel free to ask more ???.....Mike
 

WB9YBM

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I'm not aware of any complete/concise lists in circulation anywhere. I know a lot of SWL broadcasters have either gone silent or switched to the Internet due to the high costs of running a broadcast station. CQ magazine's started picking up news on SWL & scanner things, to pick up the slack caused by SWL magazines like Popular Communications going bankrupt. As for myself, I've turned to broadcast band DXing to fill the gap of fewer SWL stations being out there. Here in a northern 'burb of Chicago I've picked up WSM on 650KHz in TN., WLW on 700 from OH, "AM740" on 740 KHz in Toronto (Canada), WSB on 750 in Georgia, KOA 850 in CO., WBZ 1030 in MA, WHO 1040 in IA, KYW 1060 in PA, WTAM 1100 in OH, KMOX 1120 in MO, WRVA 1140 VA, WLAC 1510 in TN, a weak signal on 1540 (either TN or OH), WPAC 1580 in NY, and WHAS 840 in KY. All after sunset.
 

spilot113

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As for myself, I've turned to broadcast band DXing to fill the gap of fewer SWL stations being out there. Here in a northern 'burb of Chicago I've picked up

There was a time when picking up all those LW/AM stations each provided different programming on each one, originating from come different city.

Now, then I pick up these former clear channel stations, I hear much of the same programming.
 

WB9YBM

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There was a time when picking up all those LW/AM stations each provided different programming on each one, originating from come different city.

Now, then I pick up these former clear channel stations, I hear much of the same programming.


I haven't analyzed them to the same depth you have--I'm more interested in new finds and seeing what propagation's doing, so I'm listening more for new IDs. But, I see your point: not all stations can afford to hire talent for independent programs, I guess it's cheaper to pick up a common feed. It's not all bad, though: there are some interesting programs out there like "Coast to Coast AM" that I enjoy catching and if propagation won't allow hearing it on one station then maybe I can catch it somewhere else...
 

Boombox

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Common programming on the AM band in the US goes back as far as the 80's (and before) when satellite was common on a lot of stations. Then you had the several hundred Larry Kings, Bruce Williams, etc.

MW has always had a lot of network programming. As primarily a MW DXer, I haven't found the network programs that much of a detriment -- sometimes it helps ID a station, or narrow your UNIDs down a bit until you get that local spot / ID.

As for SW, yeah, prop's down, especially if you're in the northern latitudes. The guys in the southern tiers of states of the US have better luck.
 
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